1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an assembly for securing a retractable headlamp washer on a vehicle body part.
The headlamp washer is a device mounted near the vehicle headlamps to spray the glass with water or a cleaning mixture.
It is part of a subassembly called the “headlamp washer kit” comprising the headlamp washer and a cylinder coupled to a return spring for moving the headlamp washer. A mounting bracket is provided to hold the headlamp washer kit on the vehicle body while a cover, attached or not to the retractable cylinder, hides the headlamp washer when it is in a retracted position inside the vehicle body. For the purposes of clarity, we will refer to the headlamp washer assembly as the “headlamp washer kit” considering the headlamp washer, the spring and the cylinder as a single unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
Document EP 1125808 A2 describes an assembly for securing a headlamp washer comprising a headlamp washer bracket using in particular screws. Screws are the added securing means most commonly used, but other added securing means are also encountered, for example metal clips. In general, the added securing means press the headlamp washer bracket forcefully against the body and eliminate the clearance while ensuring the attachment. Permanent securing means are also used, such as welds or glue spots.
Thus, the existing solutions propose assemblies for securing headlamp washers involving the use of added or permanent fasteners to perform several functions, mainly to withstand vibrations while driving but also undergo repeated cylinder displacement cycles.
Moreover, these added or permanent fasteners are also intended to take up the clearance between the body and the mounting bracket, holding the headlamp washer in cantilever position reliably and durably, so that after the vehicle has been in use for several years the weight and vibrations of the headlamp washer do not lead to the appearance of clearance between the body and the mounting bracket.
During assembly on the vehicle, such mounting bracket solutions require a supply of added fasteners, an additional step of installing these added fastening means and involve the use of additional production equipment such as a power screwdriver, a welding set or a bonding device, for example. Moreover, when the securing means are screws or clips, the recyclability of the complete bumper is reduced due to the difficulty in separating these securing means, which are small metal components.